Local Chapter Updates: CA Chapter holds educational call about hypertension

ACDIS leadership really enjoyed listening to and reading the recap of the bi-annual CA ACDIS chapter educational call in the chapter’s newsletter. The call, which took place on March 22, featured a discussion of hypertension (HTN) documentation and coding by Cornel Delogramatic, MD, MS, CCDS, CDIP, CCS, CDI operations manager position at Valley Presbyterian Hospital in Van Nuys, California. Delogramatic helped adopt DRG-based hospital performance programs in multiple European countries, and worked in coding compliance, quality, utilization, and risk management, in corporate health care systems and standalone hospitals here in the U.S.

During the chapter meeting, Delogramatic reviewed the necessity of addressing the problem of HTN, including confusion in terminology and changes in coding and sequencing rules. He reviewed historical facts and timelines, as well as scientific facts and perspectives—including the prevalence of HTN in the U.S. population which is around 30% (approximately 73 million Americans). One in three adults suffers from HTN, which rises to two out of three people aged over 60 years old.

Delogramatic delved into etiology, diagnostic criteria, workup, and management, and provided a thorough review of pharmacological groups of anti-hypertensives. He then reviewed major 2017 Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) changes that affect the CDI including the deletion of outdated terms like malignant or accelerated HTN and the presumption of a causal relationship between HTN and heart involvement and hypertension and kidney involvement as well as new codes for Hypertensive crisis (I16.9), Hypertensive emergency (I16.1) and Hypertensive urgency (I16.0).

California isn’t the only state offering interesting CDI-related educational opportunities. Here’s a look at what’s going on around the country in the coming weeks.

April

• The Nevada ACDIS Chapter holds its first meeting on Thursday, April 6, 5:30-6:30 p.m.  at Spring Valley Medical Center. Email Vicki.Davis@uhsinc.com, for questions.
• The St. Louis Missouri ACDIS Chapter meets April 19, 6:30-8 p.m., at St. Luke’s. Outside food/drink is against hospital policy, so no potluck this time. For information, contact Michael McKelvey, michael.mckelvey@bjc.org.
• The Westchester New York CDI networking group meets Thursday, April 20, 2:30-4:30 p.m. For information email kseekircher@nwhc.net.
• The central New York CDI networking group meets Friday, April 21, 2-4 p.m., at the Pomeroy School of Nursing in Syracuse, featuring a presentation by Bobbie Massena, RN, assistant director of UM/CDI. RSVP by April 17, by email to Dawn Burr at dawnburr@crouse.org.
• The Washington Evergreen ACDIS Chapter meets Friday, April 21, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For information, contact Lillian.Dickey@providence.org. To see the meeting flyer, click here.

May:

• The California ACDIS Chapter set a tentative date of May 24 for their education conference call. For more information, visit their local chapter page and read Vol. 3 of their newsletter.

Save-the-date

• The Arizona ACDIS Chapter is planning it's next big event tentatively for June 2017. Chapter members should send all suggestions to Chapter President Alma Yap at rnalmay@gmail.com.
• The California ACDIS Chapter holds its third-annual conference Friday, September 15, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Torrance Memorial Medical Center. For information, contact Rani V. Stoddard at stoddardrv@henrymayo.com.
• Missouri’s three ACDIS local chapters join for a full-day conference event on October 14, at the University of Kansas Hospital. For information, contact michael.mckelvey@bjc.org.